From the Pressbox – Campus Timeshttp://www.campustimes.org
University of Rochester's student newspaper, serving the University of Rochester community since 1873.Mon, 19 Mar 2018 16:59:32 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4Spieth slips at Augustahttp://www.campustimes.org/2016/04/15/spieth-slips-augusta/
http://www.campustimes.org/2016/04/15/spieth-slips-augusta/#respondFri, 15 Apr 2016 05:53:34 +0000http://www.campustimes.org/?p=188592Last weekend, the golf world turned its eyes to the 2016 Masters Golf Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. One of the PGA's first of four major tournaments, a win at the Masters is known as the biggest and most coveted prize professional golf has to offer.

]]>Last weekend, the golf world turned its eyes to the 2016 Masters Golf Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. One of the PGA’s first of four major tournaments, a win at the Masters is known as the biggest and most coveted prize professional golf has to offer.

Defending champion Jordan Spieth, 22, came into the tournament the clear favorite. A two-time major winner and FedEx Cup champion, Spieth was looking to build on his momentum from last year, where he placed in the top five at all four major championships.

Be it a pundit, analyst, or a casual fan,Spieth was clearly the preeminent choice to win the tournament. He was followed by Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, and Adam Scott, but was a leg up on these superstars thanks to his pedigree.

A repeat win at Augusta seemed destined to be true for the first 65 holes of the 72-hole tournament, as Spieth remained atop the leaderboard for the first three rounds. The fourth round got off to an adequate start for Spieth, who looked poised to fend off the field—that is until the notoriously difficult Par 3 12.

Its name is Golden Bell, and it’s the shortest hole on the course. A mere 155 yards allows the average pro to use a short- to medium-iron and easily make the distance. The vexing variable that can turn even the best golfer into a mediocre one is the weather. Such was the case on the twelfth hole, where swirling winds made the green difficult to reach over the small creek that precedes it.

Spieth quadruple bogied the hole after splashing two balls in the water. This debacle moved him from -6 to -2, allowing Englishman Danny Willett to win comfortably at a score of -5. Willett, who arrived at Augusta late because of the birth of his first child, won his first major as a result of the world’s best player collapsing at a course he usually plays with a masterful touch.

Credit is due to Willett, who has been on a torrid pace of late. But any eye could see that this tournament was lost by Spieth, who seemed to be in control throughout. As Spieth presented the historic green jacket (awarded to the winner each year), the anguish of defeat was tangible in his body language, but not in his rhetoric.

While it was an uncharacteristic finish for Spieth, who just last year at Augusta tied Tiger Woods’ 1997 record score of -18 with a dominant win, he spoke to the media with refreshing candor.

“Buddy, it feels like we are collapsing,” Spieth said. That type of openness,candor, and the willingness to bring his fans inside of his thought process are what make Spieth such a popular athlete in this day and age.Even in defeat, Spieth continues to dominate the headlines of the golf world. It begs the question—does he overshadow Willett’s win? It surely seems so.

]]>The Toronto Raptors currently hold the third seed in the Eastern Conference, which may sound impressive, but what does it mean in reality? At 37 wins and 29 losses, they lead their division and are top three in the conference but would not even make the playoffs in the west. The drastic imbalance in team quality between the two conferences is no secret, but regardless, the Raptors have secured their place in the Eastern playoff picture.

Does this mean that they truly have a chance at making any sort of run though? It seems unlikely, especially with their inability to beat teams that should be easier victories. Recently they’ve had losses dealt by the Brooklyn Nets, the Washington Wizards, and the Atlanta Hawks, all teams that sit below them in the conference standings. This is not to say that they cannot beat these teams, as they have beaten all of them earlier in the season, but it is a slight concern as to whether the Raptors can hold up in a seven game series. It is hard to judge the actual quality of the team, as they do have a variety of quality players but cannot seem to win consistently against big matchups. DeMar DeRozan, Terrence Ross, Kyle Lowry, John Salmons, and others, amount to more than enough raw talent to comprise an extremely talented ball team, but it’s a matter of fitting the pieces together that can truly make the machine work to perfection. Toronto fans haven’t had much to cheer about over the past few years as the team went through major rebuilding, but the cycle is coming around and the team now has an extremely young group of players who may be able to carry the team into serious contending. Whether that is going to happen this year is hard to say; my guess would be they do not yet have enough to truly compete with the talent of the East, let alone the West. But with that said, I do think Toronto, with young talent and a highly energetic fan base, have many exciting and successful years in their near future.

]]>http://www.campustimes.org/2014/03/27/the-toronto-raptors-rise-of-ruse/feed/0A Global Giant in Transitionhttp://www.campustimes.org/2014/01/23/a-global-giant-in-transition/
http://www.campustimes.org/2014/01/23/a-global-giant-in-transition/#respondThu, 23 Jan 2014 10:33:26 +0000http://www.campustimes.org/?p=89432The first thing that comes to mind when virtually anyone in the world hears the words Manchester United is soccer. This is the end result of a global campaign that Manchester United has been on for the past three decades. Manchester United, with over 600 million fans worldwide, has become a global brand that has […]

]]>The first thing that comes to mind when virtually anyone in the world hears the words Manchester United is soccer. This is the end result of a global campaign that Manchester United has been on for the past three decades. Manchester United, with over 600 million fans worldwide, has become a global brand that has been pulling in a massive profit for the greater part of the past five years. In fact, Manchester United pulls in around 600 million dollars a year, and is the first sports team in the world to be valued at over 3 billion dollars.

Recently, Manchester United has taken a turn for the worse, and the globalization campaign that has characterized Manchester United for the large part of the 20th and 21st centuries has been put in jeopardy. Ever since United’s iconic manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, farewell address and his subsequent retirement last season, United has been destined for failure. The stability and aura of calmness that Sir Alex Ferguson gave to United for over two decades, washed away as soon as Ferguson retired.

Soccer has become much more globalized than it was when Ferguson first took charge. Club management and soccer fans alike have become much less patient when it comes to disappointing results. In this increasingly unstable and competitive environment, it was not exactly the best time for Ferguson to retire and for United to try to find a new candidate to take over his legacy. David Moyes, United’s newly appointed manager, has frankly not been able to handle the pressure that comes with taking charge of one of the world’s most powerful brand.

Manchester United’s recent misfortunes have had more consequences than some would expect. Success on the pitch was a major attraction, drawing fans from around the world. Both Ferguson’s retirement and Manchester United’s noticeable drop in form this past season has started to affect United’s global image. Manchester United and avid soccer fans will continue to watch and see how this pivotal season will affect United in years to come.

]]>http://www.campustimes.org/2014/01/23/a-global-giant-in-transition/feed/0World Cup chances in a nutshellhttp://www.campustimes.org/2014/01/23/world-cup-chances/
http://www.campustimes.org/2014/01/23/world-cup-chances/#respondThu, 23 Jan 2014 10:32:13 +0000http://www.campustimes.org/?p=89282For many years now, World Cup pundits have dubbed the most competitive group in the initial stage of the World Cup as the “group of death”. As cliché as it may sound, the group of death has rarely strayed far from its grizzly sounding label. The group of death usually consists of four teams that, […]

]]>For many years now, World Cup pundits have dubbed the most competitive group in the initial stage of the World Cup as the “group of death”. As cliché as it may sound, the group of death has rarely strayed far from its grizzly sounding label. The group of death usually consists of four teams that, on their own, would be favored to advance from the group stage. However, combine four teams of that sort of caliber and you get a mouth-watering exhibition of skill, rivalry, and cut-throat competition.

As a neutral soccer fan, watching the games that the group of death brings would be as enthralling as any blockbuster movie. However, insert your favorite team into the equation and you add nail biting, cold sweats, and in some cases, even nervous breakdowns.

Sadly, this will be the case for U.S soccer fans around the country this summer. The United States is said to be in the group of death in this summer’s World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, drawn with Germany, Portugal, and Ghana.

In previous World Cup tournaments, U.S soccer fans would have lost all hope of a chance of progression out of this sort of group. However, the current national team coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, has given soccer fans across the nation the much needed inspiration and belief that fans have lacked in former World Cups. With wins over international giants like Germany, Italy, and Mexico, Klinsmann has U.S soccer fans everywhere shrugging off the impossible.

]]>http://www.campustimes.org/2014/01/23/world-cup-chances/feed/0NFL read-option: dying fad or valuable strategy?http://www.campustimes.org/2013/09/23/nfl-read-option-dying-fad-or-valuable-strategy/
http://www.campustimes.org/2013/09/23/nfl-read-option-dying-fad-or-valuable-strategy/#respondMon, 23 Sep 2013 22:04:19 +0000http://www.campustimes.org/?p=76982Commentators around the NFL have been speculating that the read-option, when quarterbacks have the option either run or pass on any play, will soon lose its popularity among coaches. One commonly cited reason is that defensive players are becoming more patient, another being that dual threat quarterbacks suffer too much wear and tear. The latter […]

]]>Commentators around the NFL have been speculating that the read-option, when quarterbacks have the option either run or pass on any play, will soon lose its popularity among coaches. One commonly cited reason is that defensive players are becoming more patient, another being that dual threat quarterbacks suffer too much wear and tear. The latter reason is the more important, especially since the creation of a new NFL rule that states that quarterbacks who are standing near their running back when running an option play are eligible to be hit as if they were a running back, which may lead to more legal hits to the knees and head.

The assertion that defenses are learning to be more patient and thus will be able to render the read-option ineffective is ludicrous. It is still working just fine in both fast and medium paced offenses, where the defense either becomes disoriented or simply loses patience.

An example of this is Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who rushed for 112 yards on 13 carries in week one and 50 yards on nine carries in week two. In the second game, Pryor made a big play using an option play and then running back Darren McFadden followed that play up with an even bigger play when the Jacksonville Jaguars defense bit on the option play.

Another example is Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, who is running the read-option under new coach Chip Kelly. Kelly runs an up-tempo offense that utilizes running back LeSean McCoy and Vick. In week one, Vick ran for 54 yards and a touchdown, though he did leave limping. He still, however, managed to pick up 23 yards on the ground in week two, although McCoy wasn’t as efficient.

The fact that the Eagles used the read-option in week two, despite Vick’s minor injury in week one, shows that they are willing to risk the health of their quarterback. The case of Robert Griffin III, the Washington Redskins quarterback who tore his ACL last year, has some coaches scared to expose their quarterback to too many hits. Kelly knows that Vick can handle it, though. If he couldn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to post six 500-plus rushing yard seasons since 2002. But what if Vick is finally injured so badly he can’t return?

A good strategy that coaches may choose to use in the future may be to draft or hire multiple dual threat quarterbacks that are more affordable than Griffin and Vick, who earn $5 million and $7 million, respectively. The Raiders are a good example of this, as Pryor only earns $600,000 per year on average. If they wanted, the Raiders could hire a speedy quarterback like Josh Johnson or Dennis Dixon or Pat White to back up Pryor, and it would only cost somewhere around $500,000 per year.

At the start of this season, Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews said he was “going to take shots on the quarterback.” He held to his word and delivered a late hit on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick as he scrambled out of bounds in week one. In week two, Kaepernick didn’t cower behind his offensive line, but instead ran 9 times for 87 yards. The point I’m trying to make is this: the decline of the read-option is probably not going to happen any time soon. Coaches like it because running backs benefit from it and it makes picking up first downs easier. Coaches also don’t have to worry about injuries as much as many analysts think, as there are many affordable dual threat backups just waiting to be picked up by teams that need them.

Over the past eight years, Rafael Nadal has amassed a record of 52-1 at the French Open, the only Grand Slam tennis tournament contested on clay courts, a surface Nadal has mastered like no other player in history. Nadal’s seven titles at the tournament stand as one of the most impressive records in tennis and have helped the Spaniard to earn his nickname, the “King of Clay.” Despite his dominance over the years, this year’s French Open is far from a lockdown for Nadal, who is facing challenges that will make earning his eighth title perhaps too much to accomplish this year.
Nadal’s biggest obstacle in the way of a title is undoubtedly Novak Djokovic, the world’s number-one ranked player. The French Open is the only major title the Serb has yet to win, surely making him only hungrier to finally conquer the clay. While 2012 saw Nadal defeat Djokovic in the tournament’s final, the circumstances are quite different this year. Nadal only returned to the tour in February after taking a seven-month break to heal from knee injuries, and although he has already won three tournaments, he does not look as comfortable as he once did on court. While Nadal was out, Djokovic was tearing up the game, winning two of the biggest tournaments in the world, including the year’s first Grand Slam and the Australian Open. This success allowed Djokovic to further assert himself as the world’s top player, a title that simply cannot be argued against at the moment.
Another reason the 2013 French Open could spell trouble for Nadal is the fact that Djokovic beat him just a week ago at the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 tournament, a major clay court event that Nadal has won every year since 2005. Djokovic’s dominant, straight-set win, which was capped off with a massive inside-out forehand on match point, sent a message to Nadal and the rest of the tour of his readiness to dominate the clay this year. Additionally, one can’t help but wonder what the loss will do to Nadal’s confidence, especially considering the last time he lost in Monte Carlo was when he was 16-years old.
In addition to the threat posed by Djokovic, another factor that could prevent Nadal from grabbing his eighth French Open title is his ranking. Because of his seven-month absence, Nadal’s ranking dropped to fifth. Since the seedings for tournaments are based on the rankings, Nadal is currently slated to be seeded fifth in Paris. What this means is that he will potentially have to play one of the top four seeds in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals to win the event. The feat of beating just one of these top players, whether it be Djokovic, Roger Federer, or Andy Murray, is impressive in itself, while beating all three is almost unheard of. There is no question Nadal is capable of beating every player in the world on clay, but for him to beat three of the world’s top players in subsequent matches would be an extremely tall order, even for the King of Clay.
For all the adversity Nadal will face this year at the French Open, it remains difficult not to call him the favorite at the event he has won a record seven times. That said, 2013 has provided an unprecedented set of challenges for Nadal, making it perhaps the best opportunity for other competitors, most notably Djokovic, to grab the title. While we won’t know for certain what the tournament holds until the end of May, it is already clear that the 2013 French Open will be one to follow as close as ever.

]]>http://www.campustimes.org/2013/04/25/dethroning-the-king-of-clay/feed/02013 season reflects success of 2012 NFL drafthttp://www.campustimes.org/2013/04/18/2013-season-reflects-success-of-2012-nfl-draft/
http://www.campustimes.org/2013/04/18/2013-season-reflects-success-of-2012-nfl-draft/#respondThu, 18 Apr 2013 09:44:19 +0000http://www.campustimes.org/?p=70142With the upcoming NFL draft, a look at the 2013 season provides insight into the success of the previous draft.

]]>In 2012, three rookie quarterbacks made their teams happy, namely Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, and Andrew Luck. However, only one of the four quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft has actually earned his position atop the depth chart in my opinion, and that is Cam Newton. The other three, Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, and Christian Ponder, have left their teams in need of a new starting quarterback.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in the worst position of any team, with the Gabbert project failing miserably. Taken as the 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Gabbert was supposed to be the Jaguars’ franchise quarterback that they would build from the ground up. The problem is he wasn’t at ground level; he was at the bottom of a deep pit. He has thrown nearly as many interceptions as touchdowns and has a sloppy 53.8 completion percentage. His overall career rating is 70.2, and I know the Jaguars aren’t the best franchise, but they have standards to meet. There is also backup quarterback Chad Henne, but he can’t really be considered anything other than a good backup, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns in the five years he’s been in the league.

West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith is a great pocket passer, with all of the skills you want to see in a quarterback. He can scramble if absolutely necessary, but he would much rather look for an open target, even if facing pressure from the pass rush. He rarely loses his cool and has the characteristics that you need to be a successful NFL quarterback. Smith is almost certainly going to be taken by the Jaguars as the second overall pick in this year’s draft… unless the Kansas City Chiefs trade their first overall pick to the Bills or some other needy team.

The Tennessee Titans are also in a tough position. There are no good veteran quarterbacks on the market, and Geno Smith is probably not an option if the Jaguars make the right decision and take him with their pick. This leaves other rookie quarterbacks as a possible solution to their quarterback problem. Taken eighth overall in the 2011 draft, Locker has been plagued by injuries and has not shown consistency, even when healthy. The Titans picked up former Buffalo Bills starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick over the offseason, but if the Bills don’t want you, then that says something. This leaves two options, USC’s Matt Barkley and Florida State’s E.J. Manuel. Barkley makes adjustments at the line of scrimmage like a pro and is accurate at close range. Manuel can pick up six points with his feet due to amazing mobility and has shown his toughness by playing on a broken leg. They are both good picks, but Manuel seems to fit the Titans better than Barkley, especially since the Titans have running backs Chris Johnson and Shonn Greene. The option could become an option for the Titans’ offense if Manuel is selected in the draft.

If Manuel drops far enough in the draft, it may be smart for the Minnesota Vikings to take him. Though the Vikings made the playoffs last year, Ponder has not worked out too well, averaging a 77.1 passer rating over the two years he’s been in the league. Manuel backed up Ponder at Florida State and got to start when Ponder was injured, so it could be just like old times.

The Jaguars will take Smith if they are smart. If they pass him up, he will probably go to the Arizona Cardinals or the Cleveland Browns. In any case, that leaves the Titans with Manuel and Barkley as good potential picks. If either Manuel or Barkley is still available by the time the Vikings get to pick, they should invest in one of them, since they have two first-round picks this year.

]]>http://www.campustimes.org/2013/04/18/2013-season-reflects-success-of-2012-nfl-draft/feed/0Winners and losers in the free agent markethttp://www.campustimes.org/2013/03/28/winners-and-losers-in-the-free-agent-market/
http://www.campustimes.org/2013/03/28/winners-and-losers-in-the-free-agent-market/#respondThu, 28 Mar 2013 07:43:54 +0000http://www.campustimes.org/?p=65132Some teams in the NFL successfully signed players, while others faltered and fell short in their pickings.

This year’s free agency signings have not been as newsworthy as those of past years, but there are clear cut winners and losers. We’ll start with the bad news first because I’m in that kind of mood and also because it’s straight out of New York.

The biggest loser this year is the AFC East. With the exception of the New England Patriots, the rest of the division has performed abysmally this offseason.

The Patriots by no means performed admirably, but at least they replaced the players they lost with players of equal caliber. True, $31 million over five years may be a little steep for recently acquired wide receiver Danny Amendola, who played in only 12 of his last 32 regular season games due to injuries, but the Patriots also picked up former Buffalo Bills receiver Donald Jones as a form of insurance. Switching out change-of-pace runningback Danny Woodhead for former Seattle Seahawks running back Leon Washington was also an OK move. The Patriots weren’t brilliant, but they weren’t the Bills.

The Bills are the worst of the bunch. They lost guards Andy Levitre and Chad Rinehart to the Tennessee Titans and San Diego Chargers, respectively. They lost Donald Jones to the Patriots. They lost quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to the Titans, which leaves them with Tarvaris Jackson as quarterback. The only free agent they brought in was former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Manny Lawson, and that isn’t anything to celebrate. The Bills stink, as usual.

The New York Jets didn’t really come out of the free agent signing period any better off than the Bills, but at least they did something. Most of the actions I’m referring to were negative, like losing workhorse running back Shonn Greene to the Titans, safety LaRon Landry to the Indianapolis Colts, and tight end Dustin Keller to the Miami Dolphins, but they also picked up former Pittsburgh Steelers tackle Willie Colon and Oakland Raiders running back Mike Goodson.

Then there is Miami. Miami didn’t fight to retain veteran tackle Jake Long, who went to the Rams, or running back Reggie Bush, who the Lions added to their roster. They also let cornerback Sean Smith go to the Kansas City Chiefs even though he was coming off his best year. Miami also overpaid for receivers Mike Wallace and Brandon Gibson.

Now for the winners. The first-place team has to be the Denver Broncos. Besides strengthening their defensive line by signing the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, who racked up 32 tackles and two sacks last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars picked up Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who had three interceptions last season. However, the icing on the cake was, of course, the signing of former Patriots receiver Wes Welker.

Honorable mention goes to the Chiefs. They used the available free agents to begin the construction of a new offense. The smartest thing the Chiefs did was rid themselves of quarterback Matt Cassel and acquire former San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Alex Smith. Former Colts wide receiver Donnie Avery and former Dolphins tight end Anthony Fasano were added to give Smith some more reliable targets. The addition of former Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson also was not a bad idea.

The AFC West appears to be dominating the AFC East so far this offseason, but will that translate to regular season ass kickings? That is the question.

]]>http://www.campustimes.org/2013/03/28/winners-and-losers-in-the-free-agent-market/feed/0Buffalo Bills desperately seek a winning culturehttp://www.campustimes.org/2013/02/28/buffalo-bills-desperately-seek-a-winning-culture/
http://www.campustimes.org/2013/02/28/buffalo-bills-desperately-seek-a-winning-culture/#respondThu, 28 Feb 2013 12:28:12 +0000http://www.campustimes.org/?p=60612A look at what the Buffalo Bills are missing from their team and its lack of success.

As a native of Upstate New York, I am a de facto fan of the Buffalo Bills. Year after year, early season victories fall prey to lengthy losing streaks. The rest of the National Football League views Buffalo as a team too pitiful to succeed.

I attended this year’s game versus the St. Louis Rams on Dec. 9, 2012. Mathematically, the team was still in contention for the post-season. With a small lead going into the fourth quarter, the entire stadium could sense what was to follow: a game winning drive by the visiting team.

It was not the cold that left me disenchanted. Sure, I was frostbitten, but witnessing yet another collapse left me asking dangerous questions and proposing cynical solutions.

How can the team’s last playoff appearance be from the 1999 season? Many have speculated over the root cause of this phenomenon, citing poor quarterback play, perennial injuries, or poor personnel management. To them, I say yes. You are right. However, I do not think this accounts for enough of the hopelessness bearing down on the team. The often overlooked aspect I want to address is the debilitation of going to a losing, small market franchise in Buffalo.

Pretend you are a free agent. You get a call from two teams: the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills. One team has played in five Super Bowls in 12 years. The other can’t sell out its home games. For whom would you rather play?

Let’s pretend you end up choosing to uplift the hopeless franchise. Maybe they offer you the most money for your position in league history to play for them, which the Bills have done twice in six years (Derrick Dockery and Mario Williams). Your chinstrap is buckled, you take the field, but something is holding you back. You play on a team everyone expects to stink, and you buy into it.

Quarterback Drew Bledsoe, a Pro-Bowler who had led his former team to a Super Bowl appearance, was at the beginning of this sad saga for the Bills. In 2002 and 2003, the team went 8-8 and 6-10 respectively. For his third and final season, he entered the finale a win away from a playoff berth; instead, he lost to the second string of the post-season bound Pittsburgh Steelers, who were resting their starters. When it came time to follow through, he consistently came up short because the team should not and cannot win a big game.

Perhaps I was not clear about the debilitation factor of playing for a bad team. Pro-Bowlers Marcus Stroud, Terrell Owens, and Mario Williams had failed to live up to their hype after being signed by the Bills. Previous season statistics posit much more talent than what was shown here. What is worse, the phenomenon works both ways. Former draft picks Antoine Winfield, Nate Clements, Donte Witner, and Willis McGahee have had similar if not more success since leaving Buffalo early in their careers. Running back Marshawn Lynch went from above average in Buffalo to one of the league’s best in Seattle. I need not mention the numerous draft busts that further how a player cannot seem to reach peak performance for the Buffalo Bills. J.P Losman. John McCargo. Oops.

Are there exceptions to this rule? C.J. Spiller emerged this past season. Stevie Johnson has had back-to-back, 1,000-yard receiving seasons, a first in Bills history. The list is quite short. Mario Williams did have 10.5 sacks this season, yet three came in one game, and he failed to sack the quarterback in nine games. That is not the player that the team thought it brought in.

We can look toward revival efforts in similarly downtrodden franchises for a glimmer of hope amid the gloom of Upstate NY. The Cincinnati Bengals have made the playoffs two years in a row; the Detroit Lions went last year. Neither team won a post-season game. The Arizona Cardinals, of all franchises, went to a Super Bowl in Feb. 2009. They lost.

This isn’t limited to just the NFL. In the world of Major League Baseball, the Oakland A’s recently are allergic to playoff victories, the Chicago Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908, and the Kansas City Royals haven’t been to the playoffs in 27 years. Although these statistics make the Bills’ plight less embarrassing, the NFL has much more parity than the MLB.

I don’t have the answer to whether this debilitation factor comes from being surrounded by better talent elsewhere or suffocated by a lack thereof in Buffalo, although my instincts say it is neither. The stars that the Bills choose refuse to be stars when the chips are on the table. It is the player, not the uniform, that decides who wins and who loses.

What can the Buffalo Bills do to remedy this? I propose a couple of ideas.

First, the team has to get proven winners in charge at both head coach and quarterback. The Bills previous three head coaches, Mike Mularkey, Dick Jauron, and Chan Gailey have a combined zero playoff wins. Get a quarterback that demands the respect of his teammates, a guy who can make a play when the game is on the line. These players are few and far between, but instead of looking for superior athleticism or NFL combine talent, get a guy who delivers victories.

Second, execute. Bring in players who get the job done. Please prove to me that it is not some Buffalo curse. This is a franchise that made it to four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s.

When asked by “NFL AM” which NFC East quarterback he feared the most, New York Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas, who is not at all lacking in talent, answered: “Dennis Dixon.”
Dixon was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 18 and is expected to compete with Michael Vick for the starting job. But neither Dixon nor Vick are guaranteed to start. Oregon coach Chip Kelly also has second-year quarterback Nick Foles and a veteran quarterback, and I use that term loosely, in Trent Edwards.
Dennis Dixon isn’t very well known and you’d probably be surprised if I told you that he earned a Super Bowl ring earlier this month. He never played for the Ravens but was signed to their practice squad last year. Before that, he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, which drafted him in the fifth round of the 2008 draft.
Dixon has only started three games in the NFL, but those three games do a good job exposing his strengths and weaknesses. He is a big yet fast quarterback, able to run a 4.49 40-yard dash despite his 209 lbs., 6’3” frame. So it should come as no surprise that he ran 59 yards and a touchdown on eight attempts in just three starts.
Between his speed, long strides, agility, and ability to find holds and make cuts like a running back, it is clear that Dixon could become a great dual-threat quarterback. He is also very good at throwing on the run and has a big arm. However, in his three NFL starts, he threw for 399 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, indicating that his passing skills could use some improvement.
Dixon is also kind of rusty since he hasn’t played in a single NFL game since 2010. His major advantage over Vick, though, is that Kelly was his offensive coordinator during his senior year at Oregon.
While on the topic of Vick, I think that having him there to compete with Dixon is a great idea. Maybe Dixon can learn a few tricks from Vick and feel some pressure to improve. Vick is a viable number-two option at this point, but I can’t see him starting 16 games and doing well. His production has decreased drastically over the past two years, and he is going to turn 33 over the summer. Kelly won’t invest too much of his time in Vick if he’s smart.
As for Edwards and Foles, they are third-string quarterbacks at best. Taken 88th overall last year, Foles won one of the six games he started. As for Edwards, he never played a full season, and the only year that he started more than 10 games, the Bills came in fourth place in the AFC East. He also has a 26-30 career touchdown-interception ratio. If that’s not enough, the Oakland Raiders cut him after the preseason… and they let JaMarcus Russell start 25 games before finally getting rid of him. To put it bluntly, neither of these quarterbacks looks like a winner to me.
Coach Kelly has assembled a good team of mediocre quarterbacks, but can he craft one to be playoff quality? Foles and Edwards can serve as okay backups, winning a few games here and there, but I can’t see either having an 11-5 season. However, with Vick and Dixon learning from each other and competing with each other in practice, both can become viable threats. Dixon is younger and less injury prone, though, so I would start developing him if I were Kelly.